New intelligence office one step closer

Draft laws to set up a new agency to better co-ordinate Australia's security intelligence forces and provide advice to the prime minister have passed the first hurdle of federal parliament.

The Office of National Intelligence is based on models used by or being taken up by Australia's Five Eyes intelligence partners, the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada.

Australia's security agencies need the new central office to be best prepared to respond to conflicts, threats of terrorism and innovations in technology, Special Minister of State Alex Hawke said as the legislation passed the lower house on Tuesday.